Baby Milestones

Baby Milestones

One of the best and most precious gifts you can give your baby is their own book of My Baby Milestones. The writer of this book is you and its main and only character is your baby. Baby Developmental Milestones

Every baby has their own pace of development, and even though there are general landmarks in the growth of a baby, nothing is cast in stone. Provided that your baby is healthy and all is well, you should not be too worried if they do not start crawling at the exact same time as the baby next door. To make things easier, you could keep one basic diary for the clinic and a special album for your baby. 20th September 2009

Gemma smiled for the first time

Baby Chart

Another way to keep track of your baby's growth and development is to make a special, colourful chart. If this is your first baby, you can download one from the Internet.

Draw up a list of categories, such as: 3 months; 6 months, Baby, 7 months,- and so forth.

For example, your children would probably enjoy drawing a little baby on hands and knees to illustrate "baby crawling for the first time" or a spoon and bowl for "feeding baby with a spoon," etc.

As your baby gets older, your log of their landmarks will become a record of your toddler's milestones, and so forth, until such close monitoring is no longer necessary. The Greatest Baby Gift

A book and chart of all the baby and toddler milestones of their lives and the life of the family is the greatest and most irreplaceable personal gift, celebrating the growth and development of your very special child. As an adult with your own children there is nothing that they enjoy more than going through a book of your own baby milestones and seeing you as a young baby.

As your baby grows older, you are probably itching and waiting for each developmental milestone. If you're a first-time parent, you probably only know about common baby milestones - such as rolling over, crawling, and saying his first word. Eye Contact (6 to 8 weeks old)

The day that your baby makes eye contact with you, you should jump for joy. It's your baby's way of saying, "Hey, mom! Your baby smiles in response to your smile. So if your baby is between 6 and 8 weeks old, smile often. Encourage your baby to smile back. If you don't notice the social smile by the time your baby is 3 months old, mention this to your pediatrician or your child's doctor. What parent doesn't get excited at the sound of her cooing baby? Around 8 weeks of age, your baby should be starting to master her adorable "cooing" technique. Cooing is adorable, and it also indicates that your baby's front temporal lobe is maturing. If your baby doesn't coo by the time she's 3 months old, talk to your pediatrician. Between 2 and 3 months old, you may notice that your baby tries to push himself up. It won't be until about 5 months old that your baby will be able to flip to his tummy. Tummy time actually helps with prevention of the soft spot on the back of your baby's head.

When your baby starts to roll over, it's more important than ever that you don't leave your child alone unsupervised. Never leave your baby alone on an elevated surface, even for a second. After your baby masters cooing, he will move on to babbling. You may know "babbling" as "baby talk." Some babies are more talkative than others and will just babble all the time. Other babies are quieter and will only babble when they're in the mood.

Your baby should start babbling between 3 and 4 months old. When your baby starts to reach and grab for items, it shows that your baby is curious and wants to explore the world around her. You should encourage your child to grab and reach for items. Spend time with your developing baby, place a toy just out of reach, and watch your baby reach for the object.

All babies love playing peek-a-boo. When your baby reaches 6 months old, you should play peek-a-boo with your baby and stimulate his mind. When you play peek-a-boo, sit enough so that your baby can see you. Once your baby hits 6 months old, you may notice that he has enough balance and muscle strength to start sitting up. After your baby has mastered sitting up, it won't be long before he starts to reposition himself and exploring his world by crawling. Once your baby starts crawling, this is a good time to start child proofing your house. You just never know what your baby will get into!

Do you, without question, believe everything you hear about baby milestones and how to give your baby the best?

If you're focusing on developing your baby's full potential, you will regularly hear the same myths.

#1: Skipping any of the major baby milestones is a clear cut sign of superior development.

#2: My baby is very intelligent. So, she doesn't have to master the milestones.

#3: I don't need to know what the baby milestones are... all babies automatically and spontaneously master all of them.

The truth is, believing these myths will hinder your baby's future, rather than give any kind of headstart.

Myth #1: Missing out and not mastering any baby milestone may be a sign that there's an inability to master such a skill.

And, if it's a vital skill, your child will in all probability need this ability in years to come.

A baby who does not crawl misses out on getting tactile stimulation through the hands.

Myth #2: Normal baby development is universal and follows the same natural patterns and steps throughout the world.

That means a baby developing "normally" should master every development milestone within a very specific age range, regardless of where in the world she lives... or how intelligent she is.

Babies develop certain skills in a very specific order. Playing and building puzzles would have developed some of these basic skills, thus preventing the problem.

Myth #3: If things are perfect, you don't need to know what the milestones are. Or when your baby should master them... or in what sequence.